Robots vs humans vs home-office

Large companies that employ hundreds in middle management are turning to automated alternatives, which could manage projects and deadlines with less overhead and increased productivity.

Automated management is now shaping the future of work. Image credit: Zapier

It’s not just tech companies like Amazon— even hedge funds like Bridgewater Associates –as reported by The Wall Street Journal– are working toward this goal.

And without your boss being a real person, suddenly nobody knows–or cares– if you’re working from home.

“There would be whole families working from home. I think it’s really where the future lies, the electronic house”, says Nikolai Berchev, a “tester of software” who works from Bulgaria and does not complain on “reporting” to a boss that is really an algorithm.

Not perfect, but human

Before this was a trend, in some countries it happened the other way around.

Grant Thornton, an audit, tax, transfer pricing, outsourcing and consulting firm with a presence in 130 countries, drew up a study based on experience on a wide range of human capital problems around the world.

It revealed that major barriers and concerns of companies when entering new markets are costs, including personnel.

According to the same research of 2,000 business leaders, 75.7% prefer to seek new talent mainly in their country of origin.

This is a growing trend as companies seek to manage international mobility costs, associate return on investment with the financial cost of traditional allocation programs, and seek other strategies to achieve success when entering a new market.

Home at the office

Trendy offices, like tech firms, devote around 14 square meters to each employee, around a quarter less than other industries, according to Randy Howder at Gensler, a design firm.

New offices tend to look more like comfy home spaces than cold desk offices.

In there spaces there are TVs, couches and bookshelves, framed photos of a few employees.

Young workers are thought to be more productive in these varied environments, which are reminiscent of the way people study and live at university.